


The Path of Peace

by Rosamund_Calais



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Post-Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28805940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosamund_Calais/pseuds/Rosamund_Calais
Summary: To save the Khitomer Conference, Spock mind-melds with his ex-protege Valeris, forcing her to reveal the identifies of her co-conspirators. But as the Enterprise-A returns home to be decomissioned and the command crew is offered retirement, Spock's actions weigh on his mind and his conscience.
Relationships: James T. Kirk & Spock
Kudos: 7





	The Path of Peace

**Author's Note:**

> Rewatching Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country after several years, I was struck by the mind-meld Spock forces on Valeris--which is screaming out to be addressed, but which is never again mentioned in canon. This story is my attempt to tie off a bit of that dangling thread while sticking pretty close to the events of the canon timelines. 
> 
> Canon Trek also tells us almost nothing about Spock between 2293 (TOS: "The Undiscovered Country") and 2368 (TMG: Unification Part I"), leaving us to imagine how Spock ended up so heavily devoted to peace with the Romulans....

> "The strength of a civilization is not measured by its ability to fight wars, but rather by its ability to prevent them."- Gene Roddenberry

The official notice of his impending retirement arrives on Spock’s padd five weeks and six days after the Enterprise-A is officially decommissioned. The notice itself is no surprise; he, Jim, Leonard, and Scotty are all beyond the normal retirement age for Starfleet personnel of their respective ranks, and have each been offered--and refused--retirement before.

Jim plans to take retirement this time; Spock knows this, and he is not convinced it is the right choice. It is, however, Jim’s choice to make.

Scotty will stay in Starfleet. The engineer has announced, frequently and to anyone who will listen, that he can’t retire until the Enterprise-B is in fit condition, which will certainly not be until after it is launched.

To Spock’s surprise, Leonard, too, plans to remain in Starfleet, running the xenobiology lab at Starbase 17. Two of the projects the base is about to take on are based on discoveries of the doctor’s, and Leonard has always had strong feelings about people meddling in his work.

The doctor does not, perhaps, hate space quite as much as he claims to.

Spock himself has not intended to step down until the business of peace with the Klingon Empire is concluded. He is only 63 standard years old; hardly middle aged, for a Vulcan. His contacts in the admiralty who arranged for him to be assigned as a liaison to Chancellor Gorkon--excluding the now-disgraced Admiral Cartwright--remain firm in their support of his budding diplomatic career. They will approve the extension of his Starfleet service. This has been made clear to him.

But Spock accepts the offer to retire, confirming the proposed date some six weeks and one day in the future.

Then he puts the padd aside and returns to his notes about Chancellor Azetbur. It isn’t logical to regret what one cannot change, so Spock does not regret his choice. Much.

#

The joint retirement party is planned for the day before the date he and Jim officially separate from Starfleet. The event is held in a large dome-shaped hall on top of one of the taller buildings at Starfleet headquarters. On clear evenings, the stars look bright and close. There are speeches and toasts, lookback videos of his and Jim’s careers, and a great deal of alcohol. Fifteen hundred people attend.

Spock had not desired to hold such an affair, but accepts that others do. Especially Jim, who, as always, shines in the spotlight of the attention of Starfleet brass, Federation dignitaries, former crewmates, and media representatives from a dozen planets.

He makes polite small-talk as required with the species that desire it, answers questions from the media, and poses for holos. Sarek and Amanda are there. It pleases him that they made such an effort on his behalf. His mother is beaming, and Sarek seems less solemn than normal. When asked to make a toast, the ambassador slips the word "proud" into his remarks. His mother gets teary enough for the three of them.

He gets called a hero seventeen times. The Klingon ambassador both calls him a hero and grabs him in an embrace, somehow managing not to slosh the vibrant violet alcohol he’s drinking all over Spock’s formal dress uniform.

Spock puts up with it because it is expected, and because it is pleasing to gather once more with former crewmates.

He speaks with Scotty about the Enterprise-B and Leonard about his plans for the xenobiology lab. Chekov has, at long last, been offered another position as First Officer and takes the opportunity to seek out advice. Nyota has accepted a position commanding what is publicly said to be a team of linguists and communications specialists on an outpost near the Romulan border, but which Spock knows is actually the cover story for an intelligence gathering outfit.

Even Sulu is there, the captain having somehow managed to keep the repaired Excelsior in spacedock a few extra days just for this.

One by one his former crewmates depart the party. Unlike Spock, they will be on duty tomorrow.

#

Later, as the party is winding down, Spock slips away to stand on the balcony that circles the entire dome, on the side that faces San Francisco Bay. He’s been watching shuttles glide across the cityscape for some twenty-two minutes when Jim finds him.

The captain holds a tumbler half-filled with amber liquid in one hand--not the first drink he has downed this night. He comes to stand beside Spock and finally asks the question Spock knows he has been holding in for the last month. “What changed your mind, anyway? I thought you were going to stay on.”

Spock doesn’t answer immediately. There is no logic in sharing his reasoning with Jim. If he does, Jim will blame himself unnecessarily for this particular outcome of their last voyage on the Enterprise. It’s hardly fair to put the blame on Kirk when Spock himself set in motion the events that almost got Kirk and McCoy killed at Rura Penthe. And in the end, Spock bears the responsibility for his own actions.

Jim made the request, but if Spock had been in command, he would have chosen the same path: to force a mind meld and demand answers from Valeris, even though such an action was wrong.

All of the choices available to them in that moment were bad, but it wasn’t the wrong choice. It led to desirable outcomes; and alternate outcomes were both undesirable and imminent. Jim picked the winning option, as he was always going to do. Millions of lives--both Federation and Klingon--were saved in avoiding a war.

So there is no logic in burdening Jim with Spock’s guilt. Acting for the good of the many does not mean that Spock’s actions were not unethical. Unprincipled. Criminal, even. It was wrong to force a mind meld on Valeris, even had it been the captain's explicit order. Even with so much at stake. Even if it was also necessary.

Out of necessity, he has done that which should be verboetem to any telepath. He has--in anger--committed a crime for which he can never adequately apologize.

Should Valeris wish to press charges against him under either Vulcan or Federation law, he would almost certainly be deemed a criminal.

That Valeris has made no move to do so should perhaps be a comfort. That she has not tells him that she accepts that his action was logical. But he bears the guilt of his actions nonetheless. Someone must.

It is better to leave Starfleet than risk being put in such a situation again.

So he doesn’t answer Jim’s question at all. “I do not need to be an active Starfleet officer to continue my work with the Klingons,” he says instead. It is true; he has, in fact, already spoken extensively with Sarek about taking on more duties within the realm of Federation diplomacy. But Kirk will know his answer is also an evasion. Spock waits, hands clasped behind his back.

Jim leans on the railing next to Spock and looks at the sky. It’s a clear night and they can see a few stars among the ever-moving ring of starships and stations that orbits Earth. “They would have promoted you to admiral,” he says. “Science branch, diplomatic relations--whatever you wanted.”

“I am aware,” Spock says.

In the end, Jim doesn’t push further. “This peace thing is important to you,” he says instead, turning to look at Spock. “I know.”

“Even more so now than when we set out to meet the chancellor,” Spock says. The making of peace will be his penance. Valeris would likely find this ironic, because it is the opposite of what she sought by her actions. But he will dedicate himself to eliminating the hatred that led Valeris down the path she took. He will spend his life making peace between enemies, for however many years he can do so.

“I’ll still be guest teaching at the Academy twice a week,” Jim says into the silence that hangs between them. “And they’re going to farm me out on a few more PR tours.” He shakes his head, then drains his glass. “God, maybe I’m getting too old even for that. I just look at those kids and think how many will be dead in ten years.”

Spock examines Jim’s profile. “Do you believe you should not recruit new cadets?”

For a moment, Jim looks like he carries a burden of his own, but he shakes his head again. “There’s truth to the big stick policy, Spock,” he says. “As we have seen ourselves many times. Sometimes peaceful encounters are possible. Sometimes you have to shoot your way out.”

“Illogical, but true.”

“And that’s why I’ll keep doing it as long as they want me.” Kirk’s smile, which Spock senses is not entirely genuine, nonetheless gives him a boyish charm. “Anyway, I met the best people I know in Starfleet, so who am I to complain?”

The smile warms Spock, though he restrains his response to a tiny lifting of his lip. He is Vulcan, even if he has become quite accustomed to humans.

“Besides,” Kirk says. “Somebody’s gotta sacrifice to save the galaxy sometimes, and you and I are getting a little too old.”

“Indeed,” Spock agrees. It is for this reason--sacrifice, saving the galaxy--that he did what he did to Valeris. If he hadn’t, there was 98.7% of war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Now, there will now be peace that could last for generations. He will do everything he can to ensure that the Klingons and the Federation will be allies. Perhaps he can begin talks with the Romulans, too.

Jim puts a hand on Spock's arm and smiles. “C’mon. It’s our party. We can’t hide out here on the balcony all night. Besides, I think your father was looking for you.”

Spock suppresses a sigh. He has not spoken to his father about his transgression, but it is possible that the ambassador, who has security access enough to have obtained a copy of the official record, has guessed why his son is retiring from Starfleet. Sarek has taken an unusual interest in Spock's future over the last few weeks. “Is that why you sought me out?”

“That,” Jim agrees. “And you looked like you needed a friend. Whatever that weight on your shoulders is about, I hope you’ll leave it behind.” He hesitates. “If you want to get reinstated--”

“I do not,” Spock says. Starfleet is behind him now. Fighting, too. It will be someone else’s duty to protect the Federation from whatever force other enemies would use on it. He has another purpose now.

As he turns to walk with Jim back into the dome, the burden he has been carrying feels lighter. The guilt of his action will never leave him, but he will bear it as he has borne deaths of personnel under his command, of enemies who could not be saved, of innocents caught up in events bigger than themselves. But he will bear it more easily now. The burden feels shared, because someone cares to seek the sharing.

That is enough.


End file.
